Textile processes and machines



May 7, 1968 A. A. CHUBB TEXTILE PROCESSES AND MACHINES Filed Nov. 20,1963 INVE NTORZ 1 041 94507 United States Patent Ofice 3,381,461Patented May 7, 1968 3,381,46 TEXTILE PROCESSES AND MACHINES AlexanderA. Chubb, Langley, near Macclesfield, England, assignor to Ernest Scragg& Sons Limited Filed Nov. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 330,511 Claims priority,application Great Britain, Nov. Zil, 1962, 43,939/62 16 Claims. (CI.57-34) This invention provides improvements in or relating to textileprocesses and machines. The invention comprises a process for treatingthermoplastic yarn comprising the step of advancing the yarn in contactwith a surface moving with the yarn and heating the yarn at the surface.Said surface and/or means adjacent to said surface may impart heat tothe yarn.

The surface may be curved, and may comprise the peripheral surface of aroller. The yarn may be wrapped one or more times around the roller. Thesurface may comprise the surface of a belt.

The yarn may be simultaneously in contact with said surface and a secondsurface. One surface may comprise a peripheral surface of a roller andthe second surface may comprise a surface of a belt running over theroller, the yarn passing between said surfaces.

Both surfaces may comprise peripheral surfaces of rollers.

The yarn may be subjected to pressures between the surfaces. Whenrollers are used, they may be nip rollers, and the yarn may touch thenip rollers only at the nip of the rollers.

In the process, the yarn may be twisted or false twisted. The surfacemay comprise a twist stop.

Yarn may be in a twisted or an untwisted state while in contact with andwhile heated at the surface.

The process may comprise control of the heat imparted to the yarn at thesurface.

The invention also comprises apparatus for treating thermoplastic yarncomprising a movable surface in contact with which yarn can be advanced,and means adapted to heat the yarn at the surface. Said movable surfacemay comprise the periphery of a roller or of a belt.

The apparatus may comprise two movable surfaces between which yarn canbe advanced. The surfaces may "be adapted to exert pressure on a yarnbetween them, which pressure may be adjustable.

The apparatus may comprise a roller of which the peripheral surface isadapted to be heated by means located beneath said surface. Said heatingmeans may be electrical.

Processes and apparatus for treating thermoplastic yarn according to theinvention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is an axial section through a pair of nip rollers of the typewhich may find use in the apparatus of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of a roller and beltarrangement.

The apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1 comprises a pair of nip rollers11, 12, one of which may 'be a driven roller and the other an idler,which withdraw yarn 13 over a stabilizer 14- from a supply package 15.The nip rollers are heated by electrical resistance heating elements 16.The elements 16 are energised under the control of control 17 whichincludes temperature regulating means for maintaining: a constanttemperature at the nip rollers 11, 12, a temperature-sensingthermoelement 18 sensing variations in the temperature and actuating thecontrol means 17 so as to compensate automatically for such variations.The thermoelement 18 can be adjusted so as to pre-select a desiredtemperature at the nip rollers 11, 12.

Yarn 13 coming from the nip rollers 11, 12 passes through afalse-twisting device 19, the false twist imparted by this devicerunning back only as far as the nip of the rollers 11, 12. The yarn 13cools in the cool- 'ing zone 21 (which may be simply an air space atroom temperature). From this it will be clear that the twist is impartedwhile the yarn is hot, and that the yarn is subsequently cooled. Theyarn 13 untwists after passing the false-twisting device 19 and isforwarded by rollers 22, with a desired underfeed or overfeed, towind-up means consisting of a package 23 which is rotated at constantperipheral speed by contact with a driving roller 24.

Various arrangements may be made for passing the yarn 13 over therollers 11, 12. For example, the yarn may touch the rollers only at thenip. However, the heat thus imparted to the yarn 13 may not besufficient for all desired treatments (although it will be sufiicientfor certain treatments) and the yarn may then be wrapped around aportion of the periphery of each or either roller. Certain advantageouseffects are to be secured thereby. For example, if the yarn is wrappedaround a portion of the periphery of one roller before it passes throughthe nip, then, depending of course on the amount of wrap, thetemperature of the roller and the yarn tension, the yarn may besubjected to heat treatment before the insertion of twist. If the yarnis Wrapped after passing through the nip, it is treated for a longerperiod, but there may be a tendency for some twist to be stopped on theroller surface if the pressure of the yarn on the surface and/or theamount of wrap are too high. The yarn may, again, be wrapped one or moretimes completely around the periphery of each or either roller, and inone such arrangement may be led away from the surface of a roller andthrough a tensioner before returning to the surface of the roller,whereby the temperature of the yarn may undergo a temporary change,and/or the tension in the yarn may be altered. While these variationshave been discussed with reference to the process as hereinbeforedescribed, it will be readily apparent that they may be adapted to otherprocesses which fall within the scope of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims, for example, to processes in which yarn is treatedwithout falsetwisting, such as crimping processes of the stuffing-boxtype and of other types.

The nip rollers are shown in greater detail in FIG- URE 2. The lowerroller 25 is driven by a gear wheel 26, and is mounted on rollerbearings 27 for rotation on a hollow shaft 28. The upper roller 29 ismounted on a self aligning ball bearings 31 for rotation on a secondhollow shaft 32.

The shaft 32 is urged toward the shaft 28 by nonillustrated meansutilising, for example the weight of the roller 29 or extra weighting orresilient loading means.

The loading means may be adapted to apply any desired constant loadwhich can be pro-selected for treating a particular material.

The rollers 25, 29 are of hollow construction, comprising side walls 33joined by a peripheral wall 34 which has good heat conductingproperties, preferably a metal such as stainless steel.

Carried fixedly on each shaft 28, 32, and located, respeotively, in eachroller 25, 29, are disc-like supporting members 35 which carry at theirperipheries circular electrical resistance heating elements 36, thecurrent-carrying wires 37 for which lie in grooves 38 provided in themembers 35, and these wires 37 are led out of the interiors of therollers 25, 29, through the hollow shafts 28, 32.

FIGURE 3 illustrates an arrangement comprising a roller 41 which may begenerally similar to either of the rollers shown in FIGURE 2, includingelectrical heating means 42. A belt 43 passes over part of theperipheral surface 44 of the roller 41 and over a pair of furtherrollers 45 and a tensioning roller 46. The rollers 45 may be urgedagainst the surface 44 by spring or other means (not shown) to exertpressure on a yarn 47 passing between the belt 43 and the surface 44.The yarn may pass over only that part of the surface 44 which is engagedby the belt, or it may pass over a greater part, or it may be Wrappedone or more times around the periphery of the roller 44. Thisarrangement may be substituted in the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1, forthe nip rollers 11, 12.

A single roller without a co-operating belt, which may be similar to therollers above described, may be used for the process according to theinvention, the yarn being wrapped around its periphery to an extentdepending upon the heating effect required. A single movable beltsurface with or without co-operating rollers may be used. The belt maybe heated on its run in contact with the yarn or on a run on which theyarn does not contact the belt, by passing through a zone in which heatis imparted to the belt from an external source, or by heating meanscontained within the belt itself.

A textile machine may comprise a plurality of apparatus as hereinbeforedescribed located side by side, the heating of the moving surfaces beingcontrolled by a common pre-settable device and the temperature at eachmoving surface being compared with and adjusted to that of a masterpotentiometer.

It will be apparent that many modifications to the processes andapparatus according to the invention may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of producing false-twisted thermoplastic yarn, comprisingthe steps of advancing the yarn along a predetermined path; heating theyarn by passing the same into contact with a heated surface moving withthe yarn so that said yarn is heated without substantial frictionbetween said yarn and said heated surface engaging and moving with theyarn and simultaneously the engagement between said yarn and said heatedsurface prevents any falsetwist imparted to the yarn after heating torun back beyond said heated surface; and thereafter falsetwisting theyarn while the same is in heated state.

2. A method of producing false-twisted thermoplastic yarn, comprisingthe steps of advancing the yarn along a predetermined path; heating theyarn by passing the same into contact with a heated curved surfacemoving with the yarn so that said yarn is heated without substantialfriction between said yarn and said heated surface engaging and movingwith the yarn and simultaneously the engagement between said yarn andsaid heated surface prevents any false-twist imparted to the yarn afterheating to run back beyond said heated surface; and thereafterfalse-twisting the yarn while the same is in heated state.

3. A method of producing false-twisted thermoplastic yarn, comprisingthe steps of advancing the yarn along a predetermined path; heating theyarn by passing the same into contact with a heated surface which iscontinuously angularly displaced in direction of the advancement ofmoving with the yarn so that said yarn is heated without substantialfriction between said yarn and said heated surface engaging and movingwith the yarn and simultaneously the engagement between said yarn andsaid heated surface prevents any false-twist imparted to the yarn afterheating to run back beyond said heated surface; and thereafterfalse-twisting the yarn while the same is in heated state.

4. A method of producing false-twisted thermoplastic yarn, comprisingthe steps of advancing the yarn along a predetermined path; heating theyarn by passing the same between and into contact with two opposedheated surfaces moving with the yarn so that said yarn is heated withoutsubstantial friction between said yarn and said opposed heated surfacesengaging and moving with the yarn and simultaneously the engagementbetween said yarn and said opposed heated surfaces prevents anyfalsetwist imparted to the yarn after heating to run back beyond saidopposed heated surfaces; and thereafter falsetwisting the yarn while thesame is in heated state.

5. A method as defined in claim 1; and further comprising the step ofregulating the temperature of said heated surface within predeterminedlimits.

6. A method as defined in claim 1; and further comprising the step ofcooling the yarn after false-twisting thereof.

7. A method as defined in claim 6; and further comprising the step ofuntwisting the yarn after cooling thereof.

8. Apparatus for producing false-twisted thermoplastic yarn from asupply of yarn, comprising yarn forwarding means for forwarding the yarnalong a predetermined path; yarn take-up means arranged downstream ofsaid forwarding means for receiving the yarn; yarn-heating meansarranged intermediate said forwarding means and said take-up means andcomprising a movable heated surface arranged in such path so as to becontacted by the yarn and being movable therewith so that said yarn isheated without substantial friction between said yarn and said heatedsurface engaging and moving with the yarn and simultaneously theengagement between said yarn and said heated surface prevents anyfalse-twist imparted to the yarn after heating to run back beyond saidheated surface; and false-twisting means arranged inter mediate saidheating means and said take-up means for imparting a false-twisted tothe yarn while the yarn is in heated state from contact with saidsurface.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said surface is adapted tobe continuously displaced in direction of advancement of the yarn.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said surface is adapted tobe continuously rotatably displaced in direction of advancement of theyarn.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said yarn-heating meanscomprises at least one roller, and wherein said surface is a peripheralsurface of said roller.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said yarnheating meanscomprises at least one endless turning belt, and wherein said surface isa surface of said belt.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, and further comprising anadditional surface provided on said yamheating means and opposing saidsurface, and wherein the yarn advances between said surface and saidadditional surface.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said surfaces engage theyarn and exert pressure thereon.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, and further comprising means foradjusting said pressure.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said heating meanscomprises a pair of nip rollers, said sur- References Cited 5 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2/ 1954 Grettve 264-282 9/ 1961 Evans 57-157 9/1965Poster et a1 67-34 7/1950 Poster et a1. 28-72 10 Fitzgerald 28-72Harrison et a1. 264-284 Johnson 264-284 Peck 264-288 Head et a1 264-290An 264-290 ALEXANDER H. BRODMERKEL, Primary Examiner. I. H. WOO, B.SNYDER, Assistant Examiners.

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING FALSE-TWISTED THERMOPLASTIC YARN, COMPRISINGTHE STEPS OF ADVANCING THE YARN ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH; HEATING THEYARN BY PASSING THE SAME INTO CONTACT WITH A HEATED SURFACE MOVING WITHTHE YARN SO THAT SAID YARN IS HEATED WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL FRICTIONBETWEEN SAID YARN AND SAID HEATED SURFACE ENGAGING AND MOVING WITH THEYARN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID YARN AND SAID HEATEDSURFACE PREVENTS ANY FALSE-TWIST IMPARTED TO THE YARN AFTER HEATING TORUN BACK BEYOND SAID HEATED SURFACE; AND THEREAFTER FALSETWISTING THEYARN WHILE THE SAME IS IN HEATED STATE.